WRITING writing structure overview

Conclusion Diamond shape of each body paragraph Diamond shape of whole essay Introduction Body Paragraphs Introduces the topic States the thesis Topic Sentence: Introduces paragraph

1 Writing Structure Overview

Writing Structure Overview

Academic writing has a particular structure This structure can be represented like a diamond The diamond structure repeats on a small level in paragraphs and assignment tasks and on a larger level in the structure of an essay

Some assignments are not essays but a set of linked tasks Specific disciplines require adjustments to this structure to meet their requirements Some examples of these are

nursing care plans, experiments or briefing notes Nevertheless, each part of an assignment always requires an introduction body and conclusion Ask your lecturer or tutor

for clear instructions about the overall structure of the assignment

Conclusion

Diamond shape of each body paragraph

Diamond shape of whole essay

Introduction

Body Paragraphs

Introduces the topic States the thesis

Topic Sentence: Introduces paragraph topic Evidence Sentences: Provide reasons and

evidence that support the topic sentence

Concluding Sentence: Summarises paragraph

Repeats the topic Restates the thesis

Outlines the essay structure

Summarises the essay structure

Essay Question: Australia’s tourism industry is the third largest in the country in terms of contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) Much of its success is due to Australia’s unique geography Analyse the geographical factors that both contribute to and hinder the success of tourism in Australia

Australia’s tourism industry contributes 3.9% of the country’s gross domestic product and Australia has been

in the top ten of most desirable places to go on holiday 2000-2004 (Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism (RET), 2009) There are many reasons for this success but two major factors are Australia’s distinctive geography, particularly its unusual landforms (Georgiou, 2007) and unique flora and fauna (Zeehan, 2008)

However, a complication for the success of Australian tourism is the tyranny of distance and the high costs involved for travelers, particularly those from the Northern hemisphere (Proctor & Thomas, 2004) It will

be argued that although logistical concerns warrant consideration, the value of the unique geography and

Introduction First sentence introduces the

topic– the success of Australia’s tourism industry This reflects the first sentence of the question which sets the context for the question

Summary of the structure

of the essay – two

geographic factors that

Thesis statement explains how positive aspects of Australia outweigh the negative This does not just list the factors to

be analysed but it produces an

The Essay

Introduction of an acronym

(RET) to reduce the word

count of future in-text

citations

3 Writing Structure Overview

First Body Paragraph

Australia’s unique geological and ecological features make it a particularly attractive tourist location

Australia’s Tourism Commissioner states that 87% of tourists (2000-2004) cited extraordinary natural phenomena as a significant motivating reason for their visit to Australia (RET, 2009) Favourite destinations included: Uluru, beaches and tropical rainforests Uluru

is the world’s largest monolith (RET, 2009) This formation is so rare that the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is one of the few World Heritage properties listed for both its natural and cultural values (Georgiou, 2007, 21) Australia has over 10,000 miles of white sandy beaches, some of the world’s best surfing conditions and

a climate that allows comfortable swimming throughout the year (RET, 2009) Australia’s tropical north offers some of the most pristine wilderness left in the world

For example, The Cape York Peninsula is approximately the size of England, Scotland and Wales (137,000 km²), but has only 18,000 residents (Georgiou, 25) Unique geological features and ecology create landforms which are key components of Australia’s appeal to tourists

Topic sentence – includes both the main thesis and the main point of the first paragraph

Evidence in the remaining

sentences supports the topic

sentence Evidence must be

cited and referenced

Concluding sentence sums up the paragraph, developing the topic sentence Both concluding and topic sentences can provide linking words or phrases to help the ideas flow between paragraphs

Evidence in the second sentence supports the topic sentence

Overview of the evidence

in the paragraph

Second Body Paragraph

Topic sentence links the paragraph topic with the overall thesis

Evidence supports topic sentence

Transition phrase to link first and second body paragraphs together

Furthermore, not only landforms but also distinctive plants and animals draw tourists to Australia Australia is home to one million unique species of flora and fauna, many of which are yet to be described scientifically (RET, 2009) Tourists enjoy Australia’s wildlife both in natural settings and wildlife parks The Great Barrier Reef is the

2 nd most popular tourist destination in Australia The reef

is the largest coral reef in the world, home to 1,500 unique species of tropical fish, 400 species of coral and numerous species of whales, birds, sharks, sea snakes, marine algae and invertebrates (Georgiou, 2007, 43)

Tropical rainforests in far north Queensland and the Northern Territory are home to 2,500 species of higher plants and attract 26% of tourist spending (Georgiou,

2007, p 5) Taronga Zoo and Darling Harbour Aquarium are two of the most profitable tourist attractions in Australia (Zeehan, 2008, 51) Finally, a study with Australia Post found postcards featuring Australian animals were sent overseas more frequently than all other postcard types combined (Zeehan, 2008, 52) It is evident on a range of measures that Australia’s unique plants and animals, as well as its geography, strongly

Supporting sentences can reinforce the topic sentence

Use empirical evidence or rational argument to write more persuasively

Concluding sentences

Mention of geography further

links the first and second body

5 Writing Structure Overview

Australia’s geography accounts for much of its success as

a tourist destination, yet it is also one of the most remote countries on earth Both the proximity and the availability of other competing destinations puts pressure on the Australian tourism industry Overseas visitors take an average of 17 hours to reach Australia, twice as long as travel to other geographically unique locations (Proctor & Thomas, 2004, 35) Physical landmarks such as The Grand Canyon, Mount Fuji and the Amazon Rainforest are all more accessible than Uluru for the majority of world travelers (Proctor &

Thomas, 2004, 36) Wildlife tourism such as in Tanzania and Kenya or the biodiversity of Costa Rica provide travelers cheaper experiences than visiting Australia (Proctor & Thomas, 2004, 36) Also, international zoos frequently enable people to see Australian wildlife without leaving their home countries (Proctor & Thomas,

2004, 37) It is likely that Australia misses out on potential tourism dollars due to physical separation from world population hubs

Third Body

Counter-evidence that impacts the claims of both previous body paragraphs relating to landmarks and animals

Concluding sentence Supporting sentences

Rebuttal against the idea that physical distance seriously impairs Australian tourism This offers evidence in support

of the thesis stated

in the introduction

However, Australia’s isolation may not negatively impact tourist numbers as much as first considered Australia is prized as a destination because visitors experience a multitude of unique geographic features in one visit and within a safe cultural context Because of the plethora of attractions, tourists spend on average three times as much time as they normally spend visiting a single country—the exception being visits to the USA (RET,

2009, 65) Thus, although Australia may get fewer visitors in total, each visitor invests more in their stay In addition, tourists often cite remoteness as a positive reason to travel to Australia A British backpacker claims

that he, “came to Perth because it was the most isolated

city on earth” (Georgiou, 30) Tourists are willing to pay extra to experience a sense of adventure and distance from their normal lives (Georgiou, 30) In addition, Australia’s stable political system and reputation for safety offer additional incentives for travelers to spend their vacation dollars here Thus, even though Australia appears to present a physical obstacle, they compensate

by allocating more of their vacation budget to have a

Fourth Body Paragraph

Topic sentence

Concluding sentence Supporting sentence

7 Writing Structure Overview

Australia’s abundant and unique geographical features make it a very desirable tourist destination Tourists visit Australia for its incredible landforms, beaches and rainforests They are captivated by Australia’s distinctive wildlife both in the wild and within zoological gardens While it is true that Australia is one of the more remote tourist locations on earth, this distance offers an additional component to a traveler’s experience and sense of adventure Australia’s tourism success benefits from geographic features, both geological and ecological, that set it apart from any other destination on earth The distance from other countries mostly enhances the unique travelling experience offered by the land ‘Down Under

Conclusion Restatement of the topic

Thesis restated Summary of the

structure of the essay